Grand Chase: Tough Love
by xxxYin-Yangxxx
Summary: All Elesis wanted to do was to find her missing father and go back together to Elsword so that they can be a happy family again, but why did this blue-haired idiot appear and make things more complicated than it already is? And to make things worse, he knows who she REALLY is. What should she do now? Grand Chase/Elsword Cross-over
1. Prologue

**I looked at my first attempt of making the fic and thought 'This is crap' so I decided to rewrite the whole plot 'cause it seemed kind of boring. So here I hope you'll enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: Grand Chase is not mine.**

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Elesis looked at the cliff that was only ten steps away from her and then looked at the huge rock that was towering over her, the holes that were drilled in it was weird for her tastes, and were those sword marks? Then again, it seems as though they were always in weird places, even at the beginning of their journey. It's fitting. Weird places for a weird bunch.

She walked forward along with her three companions.

One of her companions was an annoying little violet-haired mage, who never fails to annoy her at every turn. Why, just a few minutes ago that brat was scolding her for charging in recklessly when they fought the troll at the Elven Forest. She glared at the mage hatefully, then sighed, for what seemed the fifth time that day. She reached for her sword, really tempted to unsheath it, but unfortunately, the hand of a blond, pony-tailed elf stopped her from doing just that.

Groaning inwardly, she glanced at the owner of said hand. Lire, her elven teammate and ever the pacifist, was giving her a scolding glare. She cringed despite the fact that she could easily beat the elf. She didn't know why, but Lire was scary when she was angry, scaring even her. Reluctantly, she released her sword and continued walking.

She sighed and looked at what the latest addition to their team was doing.

The final member of the team, Ryan, was just looking around aimlessly around his surroundings. He wore a bored expression as he looked around with his hands behind his orange hair. He was an enigma, though that was given since he was still new to the group, but she just can't help but feel that he was hiding something. Something dark, but she won't pry into his secrets. After all, She too has her own secrets.

She found it weird that there were no monsters that came out, especially now that they were nearing the exit. Usually everywhere they go nowadays have monsters. She tried to disregard it, until she heard the sound of clashing steel forcing her to stop in her tracks. It was undeniable; It was the sound of battle.

"You hear that?" Elesis asked her teammates. Arme stopped her rant and tried to hear what she had heard, and so did the others. At first they looked confused, then their eyes widened. They took out their weapons and rushed towards the source of all the noise.

After a while, they came to a halt, and they were greeted with a truly awesome sight. A blue-haired knight with clothes that screamed out royalty was holding back a huge horde of Drillmons on his own. He threw sharp violet bolts towards the monsters to keep them from approaching him and if one was dumb enough to get close, he'd slice them up.

Elesis looked at the stubborn expression on his face that clearly stated that he was not going down without a fight. It seemed familiar.

"Damn, these Drillmons just can't take a hint!" She heard him say. She giggled silently, but her amusement was short-lived as she saw a huge Drillmon sneak up behind the blue-haired knight.

"Look out!" She tried to warn him, but it was already too late. The Drillmon tackled Ronan to the ground, leaving him vulnerable to the others. Elesis growled as she dashed towards the commotion. She jumped when she was near and made a powerful and swift slicing motion in the air, making a red wave appear and cut through the waves of Drillmons. And just like that, the monsters dropped dead.

She looked back at the knight who was closing his eyes, waiting for the attack that will never come.

Sensing no attack, he opened his eyes in confusion, and then saw that the wave of Drillmons had disappeared.

"Are you a fucking idiot?" Elesis yelled as she got closer to him.

The blue-haired youth widened his eyes at the vulgarity of the red-haired girl, then laughed silently. He identified her as the one who shouted the warning, and probably the one who saved her, as she was the only one close to him to save him, her companions though were just watching the scene unfold.

"Never let yourself be surprised in battle, or it _will _be your downfall!" She yelled, poking him with each word that she said. The blue-haired knight just rubbed the place where she poked him and smiled at her.

"Regardless of your uncouth attitude, I must give you thanks for saving me there." He said with a sincere smile. Elesis blushed a little, but after a while, his words registered to her ears. She scowled at him.

"I'm not uncouth!" He looked at her disbelievingly and then flashed her an arrogant smirk.

"Oh, the monkey knows the meaning of big words, on a side note what makes you think that you're _not _uncouth?" Elesis growled once more then pushed him.

"Well I!" She started, wanting to prove the man wrong, but she left her mouth hanging open, unable to refute his statement. The knight smirked and shook his head. This bastard really wanted to piss her off didn't he? "Who do you think you are that you can just insult me!?" She yelled.

The knight continued to smirk and said, "I'm Ronan Erudon the Royal Guard Master of Kanavan." Elesis opened her mouth to speak, but a boisterous laughter prevented her from doing so.

"Oh, that is rich!" All of the people present there turned to look at the source of the laughter. It was Ryan who was holding his belly. All of them were surprised, most especially Ronan who looked at the laughing druid with joy.

"Ryan!" Ronan shouted out as the laughing druid stopped laughing and looked at him with a grin. They both got close and gave each other a big friendly hug, as if they were old friends. "How've you been?"

"Apparently not as good as you've been, I mean RGM?" They both laughed, not noticing the angry Elesis behind Ronan.

"HEY!" Elesis shouted. Ronan winced at the volume and looked at her with a withering expression. She looked at him with her hands folded and her face with a glare. "Don't ignore me!" Based on the seductive smirk that appeared on the blue-haired knight, it was the wrong thing to say.

"So you want me to focus all my attention... to you?" He said in a husky voice as he walked closer to the now sputtering and blushing red-headed knight. Ronan laughed and put his hands on his hips. "I'm just messing with you Red. Ease up!"

Elesis growled as he remembered the same nickname coming from the black-haired gladiator that they met at the Outer Walls of Serdin. The same black-haired gladiator who dared to use her ancestor's name.

"Don't call me that!" She shouted, but Ronan just chuckled and shook his head amusedly, making her more enraged. "And back to the earlier topic, why the heck did you let yourself be caught off guard? And you call yourself Royal Guard Master!" Ronan just smirked.

"Oh, so you think you can take on hordes of Drillmons for 2 whole days?" Ronan asked confidently. Elesis was about to answer, but the look that was implanted on his face made her hesitate on her answer. She opted to give up, but the smirk that was plastered on his face changed her mind.

"If a greenhorn like you can, then I can too!" Ronan grinned again and got closer to her.

"Then why don't you do it?" Elesis edged closer too.

"Then maybe I would!" Ronan edged closer until they were nose to nose.

"Then maybe you should!" They held each other's stares for a while until Ronan broke off laughing with mirth. "You're interesting Princess." Elesis growled once more and attempted to punch him. Ronan caught the fist with ease, then put it down with a kind smile, not anymore the arrogant one. "So what is the Grand Chase's reason of coming here?" He asked with a raised eyebrow. Elesis rubbed the hand that he caught and stared at wonder on how he caught such a fast punch.

"How did you know that we were the Grand Chase?" Arme asked with an impressed look. Ronan laughed heartily and gave them with a leveled stare.

"I'm the Royal Guard Master, and I make it my business to know! And as for how I knew it," Ronan motioned them to come closer. All of them edge closer as they saw Ronan look left and right suspiciously, building up the suspense. "It's a secret!" The Chase face-vaulted.

"The hell Ronan?" Ryan yelled as he stood up. The knight just shrugged and had a playful grin adorned on his face.

"Back to my question earlier." Ronan looked at them expectantly.

"We were hoping to go to Ellia continent." Arme said. Ronan looked like a bulb went on in his head.

"You're going after Kaze'aze!" They all nodded. Ronan looked at them apologetically and stared towards the distance. "If there wasn't any problems, Kanavan would gladly let you pass, but," Ronan turned to them with a grim expression. "Gaikoz was resurrected and his cronies blocked all the docks, so it's impossible to leave at the moment." All of them looked at the ground with a disappointed expression. Ronan gave them a comforting smile. "Tell you what, you see I was ordered to lead an attack on Gaikoz's castle, but I delayed it for a moment to ask what you guys wanted, and then as you can see," He motioned to the dead Drillmons. "I was attacked by these stupid Drillmons, so what say you to me joining after I finish the siege on Gaikoz's castle?"

Lire, Arme, and Ryan's eyes brightened at the prospect, but Elesis' face was scrunched up in a frown.

"We-" Ryan started.

"Disagree!" Elesis interrupted. The three looked at her with shocked eyes.

"What?" Arme asked/yelled.

Elesis turned to glare at the violet-haired mage, which Arme gladly returned. "You mean you want to travel with this pompous guy?" Elesis asked with a raised eyebrow, motioning to an amused Ronan.

"If you hadn't notice Miss Elesis." Lire started with a chiding voice. "You're the only one he shows arrogance to, which, might I add, was your fault." Elesis opened and closed her mouth like a fish in disbelief, but after a while she stopped and waved her hands exasperatedly.

"ME? HE WAS THE ONE WHO SAID THAT I WAS UNCOUTH!" She explained. All four of them looked at her with a deadpan expression.

"Was he wrong?" Elesis opened her mouth to answer, but Lire cut her off. "My point exactly."

"Well, I'm sorry Princess, but it looks like you're outvoted! After all, the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the one!" Ronan chirped, kind of weird coming from a high and royal official.

Elesis grumbled, but nonetheless kept her thoughts to her self. "Well then, I'd better go now." Ronan whistled sharply to the distance.

"What did you do that for?" Ryan asked curiosly. Ronan just grinned in response.

"Just calling my ride." Just then, a humongous red foot stepped on the ground behind Ronan.

The Chase gaped and stared wide-eyed at the red dragon that just landed. It was easily 10 feet high, and 20 feet long. "Guys meet my pet Selion." He introduced with a smile, while said dragon showed off by breathing flame at the sky.

Elesis rolled her eyes at the cockiness of the dragon, even if it was cool. _"Like master like pet I guess, with cockiness as big as 300 mountains piled together." _Elesis chuckled at her thought.

"Something funny princess?" Ronan asked with a questioning gaze. Elesis looked like a deer caught by the headlights, but she managed to gather her composure.

"I just thought how dumb you are for not letting us come with you to Gaikoz's castle with your dragon." Elesis lied smugly. Somehow she had a feeling that Ronan knew that she was lying but just let it slip. Ronan just shook his head and laughed sardonically as he mounted his dragon.

"We live in mysterious and dark times Elesis. Weird events are happening all around us." Elesis hear him say sadly. Somehow, hearing him say her name made her shiver in anticipation. Why the hell did she shiver? "If you think that you could go to Gaikoz's castle directly, then you're wrong."

"Why?" She asked softly. The softness of her voice surprised everyone including her. Instead of mocking her, Ronan just smiled at her.

"Somehow, Gaikoz set up an invisible barrier everywhere that only allows you through if the people who want to enter have already gone through the places before it." Ronan started as he sat on his dragon. "If you try to force yourself in, it will only push you out, and when I say push, I mean push you very, _very_ hard." The Chase widened their eyes in surprise as Ronan went back to his 'arrogant' face. "I see you understand, if all of you want to go to Gaikoz's castle through this dragon, then all of you will go KERSPLAT!" Ronan finished with a manic laugh. The dragon started flapping his wings.

"So how do we go to Gaikoz's castle?" Lire asked over the noise of the flapping dragon.

"It's simple!" Ronan responded. "Because of the mountains, you can't go directly to the castle, so first go through Marsh of Oblivion, the Forsaken Barrows, then Forgotten City, after that you're there!" Elesis grumbled at the long miles that they'd have to walk to go to Gaikoz's castle, but nevertheless nodded.

Elesis started walking, but as she was about to take another step, one thought crossed her mind. _"How did he know my name?"_ She turned abruptly at the rising Ronan and voiced out her thoughts. Ronan just shrugged and smiled playfully.

"I'm the Royal Guard Master, I make it my business to know!" Ronan laughed as the dragon gave one final powerful flap, pushing itself off the ground and pushing the chase to the ground. Elesis growled lowly and looked at the shrinking figure in the distance with contempt.

"Next time, Ronan, next time." Elesis swore darkly then laughed evilly as she walked to the direction of the Marsh of Oblivion. The other three just edged away from the nearly insane person, praying silently for the blue knight.

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**Again this is my second attempt, so hope you'll enjoy. Constructive criticisms are extremely welcomed and flames with no reasons are frowned upon. **

**R&R please!**


	2. Marsh of Oblivion: Part I

**Hey guys it's me again! Sorry for not being able to update much. Laziness is a real bitch...**

**Zero Exabyte: Please wait, it's not like I'm going to show someone from Elsword suddenly. It' going to take sometime, but the Grand Chase characters would say something about characters from Elsword before their debut.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Grand Chase and Elsword.**

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Ryan frowned as he looked at the stinky, barren swamp called Marsh of Oblivion; they all agreed to wake up early to get to Gaikoz's Castle sooner. Elesis _said _that she agreed, but it turns out she was just all bark and no bite. She woke up throwing tantrums left and right after Lire woke her up. Normally, he would laugh at those funny memories, but after seeing the state of the place that he just arrived at, he doesn't feel anything except anger and rage.

He looked at the swamp with great sorrow and sadness, it really wasn't called Marsh of Oblivion before, and in fact it was one of the most beautiful places in the world before it turned into a hellhole. He remembered having picnics there with his family, when it was still a wonderland and when his family was still... alive.

_"Kaze'aaze, you've gone too far."_ He thought with contempt. He clenched his fist so hard that blood dripped from his palms.

"Ryan, are you okay?" Lire asked softly, concern tinged in her eyes. The next thing he knew he punched hard to the tree beside him, making a hole, then after that, hurling it towards another dead tree. He panted and growled.

"Am I alright? Don't you see the state of this place?" He asked angrily, motioning to the swamp. Lire flinched at the harsh tone of Ryan. The other two girls looked at him in surprise, never really seeing the peaceful, yet mischievous druid so riled up and angry. He always had a smile on his face and he was usually happy-go-lucky. Ryan was about to continue on his rant, but the look on Lire's face made him stop. Fear. Fear was in her face, she was afraid of him. It was then that he noticed his canines have elongated. He took deep breaths and he felt his teeth retract.

"Treehugger, something bothering you?" Elesis asked warily with a twinge of concern. Ryan heaved one last, deep breath, and shook his head.

"I'm fine, it's just... it brings back painful memories." They all looked at him doubtfully yet with great concern, especially Lire, who was already very afraid of him. He smiled at them and then reassured them with a shake of his head. "It's nothing, I just needed to vent out a little anger."

"A _little_ anger? Tree hugger, it looks like you're a little more psychotic than I am." Elesis scoffed with a smirk. Arme frowned, and then she wiped the smirk out of Elesis' face with a smack on the back of her head.

Ryan smiled half-heartedly at them, although inside, he cursed himself. He nearly let out his inner beast, something that he had been trying to conceal from them. In the short time that he'd been with them, he found that he really enjoyed being with them, so restraining his inner beast was something that he really put all of his effort to hide.

"Fine, if that was just a _little_ tantrum then let's go! The more time that we spend here, the bigger chance my stomach will belch out its content." Elesis said with great disgust. Ryan frowned at the tone of contempt towards the place, but he couldn't do anything, because it really was disgusting.

Elesis started walking, the other two girls followed after, but not without Lire turning her head towards Ryan with a look of relief and happiness. Ryan blushed, but he immediately shook it out because of the sad thought that entered his mind.

"_I bet she doesn't even remember me…" _He sighed, and then he followed the walking trio.

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The rain poured heavily in a blood red castle. The whole surrounding was full of the smell of blood, and all you can hear was the sound of the downpour and the clashing of the swords.

Amongst the laid waste of dead anmon scouts and soldiers, there stood Ronan. His breathing was ragged, his eyes blank, and his whole body was covered with blood and grime.

An anmon scout rushed towards Ronan with a powerful, fast thrust. Ronan jumped high. When he was on top of the anmon, he summoned a rune downwards and stabbed towards the direction of the monster.

Worried, he looked towards the direction of his dragon. It looked like it was having a bit of trouble with all of the anmon soldiers surrounding it, but one breath of fire from it, gave him assurance that it would be okay.

He ran towards the great gate of Gaikoz's castle, where a bunch of his soldier were using a battering ram to break it open with vigorous eagerness, yet all around them were dead bodies of friends and foes alike.

One of his soldiers rushed towards him with great heaving breaths, showing signs of weariness.

Ronan's eyes were filled with great sadness. He saw all of them as his brothers, they needn't die for something that only he had to do. It was his job, the queen specifically said that he'd be the one to do it, but these stupid soldiers wanted to come with him, and he couldn't dissuade them.

"Sir!" The soldier addressed Ronan as he saluted. Ronan nodded, making the soldier fall at ease. "The gate is giving in, and the men are ready to go sir!" Ronan nodded once more and looked at him with a serious gaze.

"Good. After it breaks, I want you to retreat." Ronan ordered seriously. The soldier flinched in surprise.

"But sir-" The soldier protested, but Ronan cut him off.

"No! I let you come, because I thought that it would be easy, but…" He trailed off, as overwhelming melancholy came over him. "Many of our brothers died because of my ignorance and stupidity, and I won't let it happen anymore, no one has to die for my sake. After you break open the gate, go home."

The soldier frowned in an indignant manner and was about to protest once again, but the pleading look on their commander's face made him stop.

"Please…" Ronan pleaded with a whisper. "We were fortunate that not many died. So please…" The soldier sighed in sadness. He stood straight and gave him a respecting salute, and then went off to tell his fellow soldiers.

"_Please, hurry up, Lire, Arme, Ryan…" _He stopped the listing in his head, and then smiled in joy and relief. _"Elsa."_ He chuckled. They probably would've freaked out once they knew that he knew their names, excluding Ryan. After all, why would he forget the names of the group that saved him from the dark orb?

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Ryan continued to tread the forest with great boredom and disinterest. He gave up on thinking sad and dark thoughts awhile ago, fearing that another outburst would occur from him.

The trip was fairly simple and quiet. There were slimes, harpies, and poison mushmons of course. But they were just small fries and they were easily taken care of, so they really hadn't broken a sweat.

"So bored!" Ryan heard Elesis voice out his thoughts. The two other girls sighed and looked at her with an annoyed expression. Why?

While they were walking around, Elesis, being the whiny kid, complained every once in a while, and they always had to take turns to calm down the Ruby Knight.

"FOR THE UMPTEENTH TIME, WE DON'T GIVE A DAMN!" Lire shouted at Elesis. All that knew her looked at her in shock and surprise. For all of the time that the tranquil elf spent with them, they never once heard her raise her voice.

Elesis gulped in fear, and then bowed down her head, giving out a good imitation of a kicked puppy. Arme chuckled nervously and fiddled with her staff. Ryan, on the other hand, widened his eyes and grinned widely.

"Now _that's _what I'm talkin' about!" He shouted out with pride. Lire, just noticed that she shouted, turned away bashfully. The other two looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"What?" He asked them.

The purple-haired mage and the red-haired knight looked at each other with a sigh. They shook their heads in sync then continued walking, the shy elf following them.

Ryan looked at their fleeting backs with a confused expression, but in the end decided that if he tried to understand what had just transpired, he'd probably take all eternity, because in the end, no man will or ever understand the mystery that is women.

As he walked, he thought deep. He wondered why it was easy for them to defeat those monsters. Heck, the monsters in the Elven Forest gave him more of a challenge. Were they laying a trap?

A shuffle came from the bush on the right of Lire. Ryan's eyes widened. What was it? He was sure that it wasn't a monster, because of the aura it was secreting. It was ancient, that he can tell, but what made it scary was the power it held. No matter how much he tried to move and attack the being behind the bushes, he just couldn't. He looked at his comrades and was astounded that they didn't feel the pressure.

"H-hey Lire!" He ran after the aforementioned elf and walked closer to her, just in case the creature tried to attack her. He might not be able to hold whatever it is off, but at least he could easily push her away if ever it was to go on offense.

Lire yelped in surprise as she was seemingly in a trance, but she immediately composed herself. She turned towards Ryan with a cute pout, making Ryan blush. He quickly turned away to hide his red face.

"What is it?" Lire asked, with the pout still on her face. Ryan coughed to calm himself and looked at Lire's golden yellow eyes.

"I just wanted to say sorry for yelling at you earlier." Lire's expression shifted into a warm and caring smile, forcing Ryan to blush once more.

"It's ok." Lire started. She opened her mouth as if she still had something to say, but hesitated. "But what are you trying to hide from me- I mean us, Ryan?" She looked at him with a questioning, yet concerned gaze.

Ryan's face warped into a panicked look, he didn't expect her to notice so quickly. He thought he hid his secret so well.

"W-what do you mean?" He tried to cover it up. But his stutter and slight sweat gave away that fact that he really was hiding something.

Lire picked it up and looked at him with determination to find out what he was hiding from them.

"I'm worried Ryan, it seems as though you don't want to let us in." Lire said sadly and quietly. Ryan gulped at his current situation; he even found it hard to concentrate on the presence behind him.

Ryan looked ahead of them and noticed that the other girls paid them no heed. He looked back at Lire and saw that she was looking at him with anticipation.

"I'm not hiding anything." Ryan insisted, but Lire refused to have any of it and continued to pry some more.

"I don't believe that." Lire said with a raised eyebrow.

Ryan was about to open his mouth again, but something caught his eye. It was a red feather that was floating gently behind Lire. Curious, he looked up, only to see a horde of harpies, staring down at them with hunger. His eyes widened in surprise, as one foolish harpy swooped down towards them in an alarming speed.

Ryan looked to where it was heading, and saw that it was speeding towards Lire, so at the last minute, he pulled her aside, forcing the harpy to catch him instead.

"RYAN!" He heard his friends shout as he was hoisted up in the air.

Ryan struggled to get out of the grip of the harpy. He looked at its companions hurrying towards him with the intent to eat him.

He summoned his axe to fend the incoming harpies, but some of the lucky ones got inside of his guard and scratched him hard. After a while, he got tired and his axe was too heavy so he couldn't keep it up anymore.

'I think I'll have to resort to that now.' He thought desperately. He dismissed his axe and concentrated on summoning his other weapon, the weapon that he hadn't mastered yet, the Jade Hook.

It shimmered into appearance, with its blade showing its sharpness. He smirked confidently as he looked on the relentless harpies.

"You want some of this?" They screeched in response, leading Ryan to smirk some more. "Then come get some!" He sliced every stupid harpy that dared to come close to him. As the last attacking harpy fell, he looked at the harpy that continued to hold on to him. He sliced of its head, forcing it to let go of him.

"TAKE THAT!" He shouted in satisfaction, until he found out that nothing was holding him in the air. "Shit." He cursed in a rare moment as he freefell towards the ground. He looked closely and saw that hundreds of goblins and one big troll appeared and cornered his other teammates.

Suddenly, he felt a sudden surge of power. He turned his Jade Hook towards the ground where there were tons of goblins piling up. He spun in a circular motion, slowly getting up heat, but the strange thing was, he couldn't feel the heat, only see it.

He finally reached the ground with a big BOOM! The ground showed a huge crater and many goblins died in the explosion. He stood up from his crouching position with his breathing ragged.

"Ryan!" His teammates rushed towards him. "Are you alright?" He heard one of them ask. He nodded wearily.

"What was that?" He heard Arme ask.

"Spinning Phantom…" He didn't know where it came from, it was as if he always knew the name of the feat that he had done.

"We'll talk about what you did later, but for now, let's concentrate on kicking their asses!" Elesis roared enthusiastically. The others nodded in agreement and went into battle position.

Ryan tried to stand up, using his weapon as a support. But it proved to be pointless, because once he stood up, he immediately buckled down under his own weight. Black started to fill his eyes, and finally he faded out.

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**And we're done. Don't worry I've already started on making the next chapter, and I know that my drive won't disappear anytime soon! XD**

**PEACE OUT!**


	3. Memories Left Forgotten: Ryan

**Disclaimer: Grand Chase/ Elsword Doesn't belong to me**

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**(10 Years ago...)**

The fresh cool breeze passed coolly through a young elf's face as he ran through the meadows with a big and huge grin, looking left and right at the wooden houses on top of the treetops. And the bright sun beamed down on his energetic face.

The child laughed in glee as he dashed with a heavy-looking axe on his back, which seemed impossible for a five year old to carry.

He took a glance behind him and stopped, scrunching up his face in frustration; he looked behind him and motioned another young elf to go faster.

"C'mon Lire!" He called out to the other elf impatiently. "I want to show you something!" He added, his frown becoming a wide grin again, before he continued running, giggling madly as he did so.

"Wait! I'm not as fast as you are Ryan!" Lire shouted after Ryan in a high pitched voice, trying hard to keep up with his pace, but finding it hard to do with her green dress that reached down to her knees.

"C'mon! It's just only beyond that bush!" Ryan reassured her.

Lire panted heavily, but the smile never left her face. That was until, she tripped from a rock. Fortunately, she held up her hands out just before she fell to the ground, but nonetheless, she scraped her knee to the ground.

Ryan's eyes widened, rushing towards her in a panic. He kneeled next to her and attempted to soothe her, but it proved to be useless. He disregarded it for the moment and looked at the huge gash on Lire's knees.

"It hurts!" Lire continued to sob into her hands. Ryan concentrated a bit of mana on his right hand. It was a bit hard for him to do, considering his small body ergo small mana pool. Lire looked at Ryan in curiosity, her tears still flowing. "W-what are you doing?"

Ryan didn't respond, but instead smiled kindly. And after a bit, a totem pole materialized from his hand. He immediately rammed it into the ground, surprising Lire.

"R-Ryan?" Lire continued to ask. Ryan pointed towards the pole he planted, and what she saw made her gasp. A slow and steady, orange aura was emitting from the totem, and it felt soothing and calming. After a few seconds, the totem alongside with its aura disappeared. "What was that for?"

"Look at your knee!" He said gleefully. Lire quickly obeyed, and to her surprise, her wound was gone. No scar, no scab, nothing. It was as if her injury never really was there.

"How did you…" She trailed off, still amazed by the disappearance of her wound. She looked up at Ryan in adoration, making Ryan blush and scratch his head sheepishly.

"It was nothing; I just used a Revitalizing Totem to patch it up." He coughed uneasily. "It's not as good as the older druids, but it did its work." Daring to look at his friend again, he caught sight of what was probably in his opinion, the most wonderful picture that the world will ever know. It was Lire looking at him with a smile that reached her ears. His breath hitched as his blush came back in full force.

"You're amazing!" Lire complimented him. Her sincerity made him really uncomfortable, but he liked it.

He turned his back towards her and knelt. Turning his head towards Lire, he beckoned her to climb on his back, but upon seeing her confused look, he explained to her.

"You shouldn't strain your wound for a while," He started with a face as red as a tomato. "So it'd probably be better if you rode on my back." He looked away abashedly. _'Pshaw, it's probably just an excuse for you to hold her close!' _The thought made him blush even more, so he shook his head in an attempt to remove it.

He felt someone mount on his back, making him smile. He stood and ran with ease, surprising him how light his friend was. He heard her giggle with glee, putting a smile on his face.

After a few minutes of running, he finally stopped to a complete halt in front of a huge bush.

"Is this it?" Lire asked with a little hint of disappointment. He chuckled. Wait until she sees what was beyond the bush.

"Close your eyes for a moment." He told her, placing Lire down on the ground. She hesitated for a moment, but nevertheless obeyed.

Mumbling some incantation, he held out his hand to the big shrub. He finalized his chant, and to Lire's surprise, the bush parted from them slowly, revealing a serene image. It was his outdoor sanctuary, whenever he felt sad or angry. Satisfied with his work he approached Lire gently and took her by the hand.

"Follow me, but don't open your eyes just yet." He led her inside his sanctuary. "Ready?" He saw Lire nod. "Open it."

Lire opened her eyes eagerly. Ryan looked at her expectantly. Her silence made him feel that she was disappointed, causing him to gulp nervously. He was about to ask her what was wrong, but right then and there she mouthed a word that made all his insecurities away. "Wow".

"It's wonderful Ryan." She whispered. He smiled at her statement; after all it really was wonderful. The clear blue lake shimmered and showed its clean bottom, as if transparent. Birds freely flew all over the place, chirping joyfully as they did.

"You are too!" He said childishly rubbing his head sheepishly once more, but to his dismay, she didn't show any signs of hearing it.

Ryan saw Lire take a deep breath. As she did so, Lire smiled more brightly than before. After a while, Lire turned to Ryan and gave him a grateful smile and said, "Thank you Ryan."

"No problem!" Ryan replied, turning away to hide his ever-growing blush.

A shuffle was heard from the bushes behind them. "Lire!" Someone called out. The leaves from the started to shake wilder, and from there, a tall male elf appeared. His long, blonde, braided hair flailed walked towards them.

"There you are!" He smiled coming closer to Lire. "I've been looking all over for you, you silly girl. We're leaving, so say goodbye to Ryan."

"Aw…" They whined disappointedly. The man gave an amused look and shook his head.

"Come on Lire."

"Ok, daddy." She pouted as she turned to the downtrodden Ryan. "Bye Ryan."

"Bye." He said back, his frown turning bigger by the second. But what Lire did next, made it turn upside-down. She kissed him on the cheeks. He looked back at her dumbfounded at what she did. "Wha-"

She giggled and ran towards her chuckling father, waving at Ryan all the while. As the father and daughter walked away, Ryan raised up his hand slowly to the place where Lire kissed, before his face broke to a big and wide grin.

* * *

**(6 Years later…)**

Screams of despair and agony filled the air alongside with the lights from the fire that surrounded the whole forest. Ashes filled the bloody sky, adding to the gloomy atmosphere.

Ryan kneeled in anguish as he stared at his surroundings with trembling arms. His clan, his kinsmen, his family, was being massacred mercilessly by orcs, and they did it for the heck of it. It made his blood boil, he wanted to do _something_, but that was it, he just couldn't. He was too afraid, too shocked by the sudden turns of event.

"Why…" He asked to no one in particular. Tears started to flow freely on his face, his teeth started to clatter, as he continued to view his suffering home, until he landed to a scene that would forevermore scar him. He saw a purple-haired woman with crimson eyes stab both his parents with a trident-like staff. "No…" He started shaking his head, as if willing the whole event to disappear like a nightmare he can just get out. "NO!" He stood up grabbing his axe and charging at the woman with all his might.

The woman looked amused at his feeble attempt and sent him flying away with just a flick of her finger. He hit a tree, making him lose his unconsciousness. The last thing that he was able to see was the blurry silhouette of the burning village.

* * *

Ryan shifted a bit, hearing indistinct voices standing above him. He opened and closed his eyes repeatedly, not having the strength to make it stay open. His vision was a bit hazy and he was feeling a little lightheaded.

"Mistress, this elf is still alive," He heard a blue-haired figure say monotonously to another approaching figure with purple hair. "Should I end his life?" He could vaguely see the blue-haired figure raise his hand, holding a sword, as if preparing to deliver the final blow.

The woman held up her hand, and he could see the cruel smile that grew o her face. "Leave him be for a while," She said. "I have something else planned for him." She shuffled and walked away, leaving the half-conscious elf and the blue-haired knight alone.

After a while, the blue-haired knight left too, and without anything to worry about for the moment, Ryan fainted once more. When morning came, a dreadful and demented cry was heard all throughout the Bermesiah continent.

* * *

A few days passed and Ryan was still too overwhelmed by all the events that transpired. His eyes still held the blank look that he had the past few days. It was over; he was the last druid of Elven Forest. And he wasn't even done with his own training yet.

His misty eyes scoured the mountains of corpse all around him, he could spot some of his friends and families, but he paid them no heed, instead focusing on his parents lying peacefully in front of him.

"It's unfair…" He mumbled, gripping his axe tighter. It was unjust for him to be all alone at his age, but it happened, there was no one to guide him anymore. Fortunately, not all the scrolls in the library were burned, so he salvaged what he could find and put them in his bag. He also found two weapons that he saw more professional druids used. The Jade Hook, a blade with a crescent shape, with its handle on the middle, and the Scythe.

He stood up and dragged his parents' body away to hide them from the coming elves from Eryuell, as it was their custom to visit the elves from Elven Forest. He hurriedly hid them in an obscured tree trunk that he used as a temporary shelter. He went back and took two bodies from the pile of corpse and placed an illusion over them, making them appear like his parents.

"That should do the trick…" He remarked to himself before climbing to a tree, hiding himself in the leaves, but making sure that he could see the whole surroundings.

He waited for an hour before he heard some shuffling in the distance. He waited some more, until finally, he could see the leader of the Eryuell Corps, Lire's father. He was smiling at first, but when he saw the forsaken battlefield, it turned into a horrified expression.

"No…" He heard Lire's father utter in disbelief. "NO!" He suddenly dashed around looking for something or someone, probably survivors. The group followed their leader's example almost immediately, but they seemed to have lost hope after looking for two hours.

"Mmm…" Ryan heard someone groan, as if waking up. He turned to the carriage and saw the door open. Lire appeared out of the wagon along with a person who he identified as Rena, Lire's older sister. "Daddy what's going on?" Lire asked as she rubbed her half-closed eyes. Rena gasped in shock, making Lire open her eyes fully.

"What happened here?" Rena asked as her eyes looked over the mountains of dead people surrounding the group. She turned to the trembling Lire and hugged her tenderly.

"W-where's Ryan?" Lire asked with a shaky voice. No one replied. "Where's Ryan?" She asked once more, her hands covering her face. She tore herself away from her sister's arms and ran around the forest shouting, "Ryan! Where are you?" Ryan winced at the amount of grief that her voice held, and it seemed to be growing at each passing second.

"I'm sorry Lire." He whispered as he followed Lire to their secret place, where they usually go whenever Lire visits, the place he introduced to her when they first visited six years ago.

"Ryan!" He saw Lire shout as she pushed aside the bushes with a hopeful appearance, but it soon transformed into despair once she saw the desolate environment. She sobbed quietly, kneeling down, seemingly not being able to process the information that Ryan was gone. Tears started to pour down her face as she grasped the hem of her dress, and after a while she started to bawl.

"Lire…" Ryan turned to the new voice and saw Rena approach the bawling Lire.

He quickly turned around with a heavier heart, deciding that he had seen enough, and then went back to where Lire's father was.

* * *

Ryan came back just in time as Lire's father and his men nearly finished burying all of the dead, except for a particular one, his 'father'. Lire's father was currently in a kneeling position before the dead body of his 'father.

"Rydel, I'm sorry, it seems I have failed you once more…" Lire's father heaved a great sigh. "If only I had come earlier, then maybe…" He trailed off with a wistful look. "And Ryan's nowhere to be found."

Ryan's chest felt heavier than ever as his eyes stung. He felt tears fall down from his face. He knew he should've showed himself to them, but he just couldn't bring himself to appear yet, he still had to avenge his parents.

Rena appeared carrying a sleeping Lire, but her puffy eyes made Ryan grit his teeth. He already knew that he would end up regretting what he was planning to do, but this was making it very hard to carry it out.

The man stood up and started digging, ignoring the opposition of his men, until finally he buried his old friend.

"Thank you Rena." Their father looked at the worn-out Lire. He took her from Rena's arms and rubbed her back comfortingly.

"It's fine father." She gave a sad and sympathetic smile.

"I just wish that I could've found Ryan." He whispered. Rena opened her mouth, but hesitated. "Yes?"

"How can you be sure that he's still alive?" Rena asked sadly. Ryan cringed. It was what he wanted them to think, but it was still hard for him to hear that they marked him off as dead.

The tired-looking father shook his head slowly and started to go back. "I don't know, we can just assume that he is." Rena appeared to accept it, albeit grudgingly. Ryan was a bit glad of her reaction. That just meant that his older sister figure also cared about him. The group started to leave.

He loathed doing this to his precious people, but he just had to, lest he wouldn't be able to sleep at night. He went back to the trunk where he hid the real bodies of his parents and put his father on his back and his mother on his arms. They were heavy, make no mistake, but the amount of pain that he is feeling can't be compared to the amount of determination that he has.

He quickly ran towards the opposite direction of the group, towards Trial Forest. Once he got out of the forest, he took one last melancholic look before moving on his way.

* * *

Against all odds, he reached his destination. It was given that he would face certain complications before reaching his destination, such as weather, monsters, and tiredness, but it was not enough to waver his determination. He let out a relieved sigh.

'_Finally you can rest peacefully, mom, dad…' _Ryan released a mirthless laugh and trudged deep into the forest. He wobbled a bit, but ignored it; no one can stop him from finishing what he started, that's why he gave an icy and deadly glare to the monsters that dared approach him with malicious intent.

He reached the end of the forest, where light was scarce, but it was safe and secure, and that was all he needed. He gently laid his parents' bodies aside before walking towards a very big tree and started digging the ground with his bare hands.

Suddenly, a creak was heard from the tree, making him look up in surprise. It was a Treant, and from the looks of it, it wasn't very from being disturbed from its slumber. It uprooted its hands from the ground and reached for one of its apples.

Ryan stood up in alarm and held out his hands in a calming gesture.

"I come in peace." He said in elven, and soon after, recounted the events that led him towards there, but he still said that all in elven. He was taught back then that doing so would help calm down _some _of nature's guardians. He just hoped that this Treant was one of those 'some'. After he explained, the giant tree slowly put its hand back to the ground, seeming to understand.

Ryan sighed in relief. That was easier than he had expected. With a more relaxed feeling, he resumed digging, not caring about his tired arms.

* * *

Night greeted the panting figure of Ryan. He repeatedly heaved deep breaths as he kneeled before the completed graves of his parents. Tears flowed from his eyes alongside with his sweat.

'_I miss you already,' _He whimpered in his head. _'Why did you have to die?' _ He clenched his fist so hard,to the point that blood flowed freely from his palms.

With his emotional and physical fatigue weighing heavily on him, he sprawled pathetically to the ground, and as he started to pass out, he couldn't help but feel glad about finally finishing his parents' final resting place, even if he had to do it with, literally, his blood, sweat, and tears.

* * *

Ryan woke up the next day with one thought in mind. He was thirsty. He needed something to drink, and fortunately, he saw a spring near to his location when he entered the forest.

He stood up and wobbled to the spring with a tired posture. He was desperately thirsty and he just wanted to quench it. When he reached his destination, he quickly burrowed his head to the water and took big gulps. He raised his head and wiped his mouth with his hand. He sat down and looked up to the sky, a little content.

He just sat there in silence, until something made him feel unsettled, something primal and beast-like inside him. It was repulsive to say the least, and it made him recoil. He rolled over and kneeled while holding his stomach tightly, trembling as he did so. His breathing became ragged while his teeth clattered

He suddenly felt his canine lengthen and his eyes shift. His nails started to get longer and sharper and hair all over his body grew and became orange. His nose slowly transformed into a snout and his feet and hands into paws. And finally a tail grew from his behind.

His breath started to slow down. Fearing what possibly had occurred to him, he shakily brought up his hand, and what he saw made him cry out, or more precisely howl out. He panicked and ran to a secluded part of the forest, revolted by the sudden change of his appearance.

* * *

**(4 Years later…)**

Ryan stood on the entrance of his former home, Elven Forest. It has been a long time ever since he changed his home to Trial Forest.

He gave a sigh. The only reason why he came there was because he heard from rumors that someone tried to destroy the burial place of his kinsmen. He grabbed his axe tighter; if he would take one step forward, somehow he knew he wouldn't be able to go back to his rather normal lifestyle.

"Oh well." He gave a grin and ran inside with his axe held up high.

As soon as he entered, monsters immediately swarmed towards him, but he just defeated them just as easily as they came. Not soon after, he cleared one part of the forest.

Ryan scoffed. "Is this the best you guys can do?" As soon as those words left his mouth, another wave of monsters, larger in numbers than the first, appeared and surrounded him. He gave another grin and jumped forward to the nearest monster. "Now that's what I'm talking about!"

* * *

Ryan started to heave, at first he thought that wiping out the forest of monsters as weak as them would be cakewalk, but what they lack in strength, they made up in sheer numbers.

He growled towards the two warrior orcs in front of him and showed them his extended claw in hopes of intimidating them.

'_To think, you pushed me to the point of making me transform.' _He mused. The orcs seemed unfazed and they raised their hammers and quickly brought it down to his head. He inwardly laughed, dodging both of their hammers. They wouldn't be able to catch him if that's the extent of their speed. After all, his transformation also gave him a bit of a boost in strength, speed, and instinct.

He quickly came behind the first orc and jumped while spinning, his fur hit the orc square on its back, forcing it to go down. It was one of the perks that he found out one day while he was training, he could use his fur as a weapon, and all it needed was just the right speed.

He swiftly lodged his claw through the orc's heart, and he looked down at the orc with an apathetic gaze as life slowly left its eyes. He sensed the remaining orc come up from behind him. He spun around in alarm, hoping to block the incoming attack, but it was unneeded as an arrow lodged itself directly to the brain of the frozen orc.

'_Who?' _He wondered, turning to the entrance. He stopped abruptly as he saw the person holding a bow. It was a face that he would never forget. It was his old childhood friend, Lire. He froze in surprise, what would she say once she saw him? How would she react? He was about to approach them when he heard a shrill cry.

"Eek! It's a wolf monster!" Ryan cringed as he saw the panicked look in the violet-haired mage's eyes. He quickly ran away, and once he was sure that they weren't there, he released his transformation.

"Of all times, why now?" He grumbled as he summoned his axe, and using it like a cane, he limped away, knowing that they were bound to go after his wolf transformation. "I hate this." He muttered as he continued to limp.

"Hold it!" A demanding voice ordered from behind him. He inwardly sighed and turned around. It was the small group that he saw earlier. He directed his attention to the ground and cursed under his breath when he actually took the time and figured out who these three girls were.

The first figure was well renowned as the guild leader of the Ruby Knights, Elesis Seighart. He knew that this was the leader because he heard from the town near Trial Forest that the leader of the Ruby Knights were someone with red hair, which she had. It was rare for anyone to get red hair, so far he only knew of two, her and her father, Elscud.

The violet-haired girl on her right was also another popular person, Arme of the Violet Mage Guild, the young prodigy in magic, having mastered both black and white.

And finally, the person he dreaded, at the same time hoped, to see again. With her blonde hair in a ponytail, and her hands on the hem of her short skirt that reached up to her mid-thighs, Lire stood with her hands on her bow and arrow, pointing it directly and warily towards him.

"What happened to you? You're looking pretty beat." Lire asked him with her bow still pointed to him.

'_Sure, point a bow to a person, that'll make him talk to you.' _He thought sarcastically before answering, "The name's Ryan." He looked up to gauge their reaction, especially Lire's. Seeing that no one reacted, he continued, "I protect Mother Nature, and it became my interest to protect this forest too." He winced as a wound suddenly stung. "Unfortunately, I can't fend them all off alone…" He finished as he suddenly slumped.

"Ryan?" He heard someone whisper very lowly that he thought he was imagining it. He looked up and saw not one of them move their mouths.

"What happened to this forest?" Elesis asked. He growled and gripped his axe tighter, making the three girls grow suspicious and take a step back.

"Kaze'aze made all the monsters in the woods to go crazy, and then she sent some orcs to cause more chaos." He explained in a deathly cold voice. "I tried beating them until they came conscious, but it was no use."

"Can you still fight?" Elesis asked. Ryan gave derisive snort but nevertheless nodded.

"Then we shall help you," Lire finished for her, lowering her bow, then she gave a nasty glare that sent shivers up his spine to the dead monsters that lay in the ground. "How dare they try to desecrate this place…" She whispered so quietly that he knew that he was the only one who could hear her words. He unknowingly smiled at her.

* * *

By the end of the day, they saved the forest and the Chase started to leave, and Ryan pleaded to join the Chase for several reasons. It was a good thing for him that they were impressed by his skills, meaning they agreed without any second thoughts. Thus was the beginning of Ryan's life in the Grand Chase.

* * *

**Constructive Criticisms are welcomed...**


	4. Marsh of Oblivion: Part II

**Disclaimer: Grand Chase and Elsword is not mine.**

* * *

All her life, Lire has been plagued by misfortune, sadness, and separation. At an early age, her mother died because of an unknown sickness. At the age of seven, she lost her best friend and some of her uncles and aunts in a sudden raid. In the same year, her father died. And finally at the age of nine, Rena, the eldest sibling of their family, left her and her brother to protect another tribe of elves elsewhere.

All those sufferings forced her to mature faster than most. And although her brother tried to protect her from bad things, it didn't work. She saw how quickly the world that they lived in started to degrade. So like any normal person would do, she sought change and yearned for a way to destroy Kaze'aze for all the misdeeds that she had done.

Fortunately, her yearning paid off. The new queen of Serdin started a conquest to seek out Kaze'aze and destroy her once and for all. It was named the 'Grand Chase'. As soon as she heard of it, she immediately registered to join, much to the chagrin of her older brother.

When she got accepted though, she was put in the same group as two other weird people. As soon as they spoke, she immediately knew that this group was a complete failure in terms of teamwork. It really made her wonder why their group wasn't withdrawn as soon as they were sent out to the field. But something inside of her clicked as she spent more time with them. She didn't know what it was, but there was something that made her feel close to them, it was as if they were close to each other in some kind of past life.

With that, they conquered all challenges that went through their way, and they even got a new member as they progressed. The new enigmatic member, who like them kept his fair share of secrets, which was why she was wondering why she was stroking the druid's hair.

For some unknown reason, Ryan lashed out earlier. And along with his sudden outburst, came slight transformations to him, such as the elongated canines, the slit eyes, claw-like nails, and lengthened hair. Needless to say, it made her worry, but she didn't pry anymore further. But what surprised her most, was the inhumane senses that he displayed when they were ambushed. Granted, elves have superior senses than that of a human, but Ryan's was just… unnatural. And also the stunt that he displayed before he fainted was another wonder. But as long as he kept quiet, she couldn't do anything except just stroke the Druid's hair.

She really didn't know why she was doing it. It just felt natural. Besides, despite the wild look the druid's hair has, it was actually really soft like fur.

She sighed wistfully. The new addition to the team was really making her head hurt real bad, as if her other two teammates weren't headaches enough.

Lire frowned as she looked at the peaceful figure on her lap. For some reason, he reminded her of her old childhood friend, whose name escapes her. It was truly a traumatic experience for her, losing her first best friend, that's why she unconsciously blocked some of her memories, to keep her from being hurt.

She felt Ryan start to waken. She still continued stroking his hair of course; there was nothing wrong with that was there? She saw his eyes open slowly and then look at her groggily, which quickly turned into surprise and shock. Did she do something wrong?

Ryan sat up quickly while looking at her with bewildered eyes and a red face. He wasn't angry at her, was he?

"L-Lire! W-what were you doing?" He asked in a panicky voice.

She tilted her head slightly in confusion. Was there something that she did that was offending him? All she did was run her hand through his head softly. She didn't do it too rough, did she?

"Is there something wrong?" She watched as Ryan's face contorted into many forms until he finally opted for a resigned look.

"It's nothing." He grumbled.

She cringed slightly. It looks like she had done something to make him uncomfortable again. Not to mention she showed a very un-ladylike side of herself when she yelled at Elesis earlier.

"Where are the others?" Ryan asked, rubbing his head sorely.

"Elesis went to hunt for food while Arme looked for wood for the fire." Ryan nodded, as he still continued to rub his head. But after a while, he suddenly stopped, and then grinned widely, as if to say that he won the lottery.

"I mastered my Crescent Blade." He mumbled as he stood up with an elated expression. "I mastered my Crescent Blade!" He shouted out as he started laughing joyfully.

Seeing him with such a childish expression, made her smile. Even though the druid acted like a child, it was just that, an act. And she could tell that all the childish action that he did was just a mask. But this expression, it was definitely wasn't an act.

Ryan held out his hand and light shimmered in front of it clumping together to form his Crescent Blade. He grinned and gripped the hilt of his blade tighter.

Her smile slowly transformed to a frown. "Oh no." She unconsciously said. She could feel mana building up in Ryan's Crescent Blade. Surely he wasn't thinking of-

Ryan crouched and with a manic grin, started to spin uncontrollably towards a tree. He cut through the tree like it was nothing, and then the second one, and the tenth one.

"THAT WAS AWESOME!"

Lire stared at the destruction the Druid had caused with disbelief. She could feel a tic develop and she raised her fist in annoyance.

"RYAN!"

* * *

Ronan heaved as he summoned his trusted dragon once more. It was getting harder to fend of Gaikoz's undead minions. All things considered, he had done well fighting alone against a horde of skeleton warriors.

His panting became even more ragged as another wave started to appear.

'_Damn. Is this the end?' _He cursed himself inwardly. He knew he should've waited for the Chase but if he had waited, then Gaikoz would undoubtedly move his forces already, and he couldn't afford that.

He chuckled at his pathetic state. Here he was leaning on his sword, his own strength failing him. _'Maybe it's for the best. Maybe I can finally atone for all my past crimes.'_

Suddenly, a wave of dark purple energy passed in front of him, destroying every monster in sight.

Ronan's eyes widened. Who was that? It surely wasn't his men. None of his men were that strong for one, and he already sent them all home. He turned to look at his savior and saw a rather laid-back man sporting a cocky smirk and amused eyes. The man looked at him and his expression immediately changed to a grandfatherly look. It was weird, considering that the man didn't look a year over 30.

"Are you alright kid?" The man asked, walking closer to him. Reluctantly, he nodded. The man crouched down and helped him up. "Don't you think it's a tad bit excessive for you to try to fight an army all by yourself greenhorn?" The man asked jokingly. Instead of being insulted at the greenhorn comment, he smiled. He didn't know why, but the man's aura was inviting.

"I have to, to protect the kingdom." At that, the man boisterously laughed.

"I like you kid. I haven't seen many people with that kind of fire in their eyes anymore." The man shook his head amusedly. The man summoned a bottle and gave it to him. "Here, drink this, it'll make you feel better."

Ronan did as the ebony-haired man commanded, and not soon after he drank it, he felt alive and revitalized. It was as if he wasn't tired at all.

"What was that?"

"It's called a hero potion." The man said with a smile. "It's a bit tricky to make, but worth the trouble."

"Thank you for your help." Ronan said gratefully.

The man waved it off and looked at the surroundings. "Well, I should be going now." He looked at Ronan again with a teasing smirk. "I trust you'll be careful from now on?"

Ronan laughed and nodded. He couldn't help it. The man was so familiar; he resembled someone he knew. "You can count on it mister…" He trailed off, realizing that he didn't know the man's name.

The man chuckled and shook his head. "No need for the mister; just call me Sieghart, or Ercnard, if you prefer." With that, he vanished. Leaving no signs that he was ever there, except for the wind that passed through Ronan's surprised face.

"Ercnard Sieghart, b-but…" Ronan continued to stare at the place where Sieghart stood earlier. He shook his head. This was no time to be staring at the floor where dead legends appear to help. With a sigh, he looked up to the darkening sky. "Hurry up Grand Chase, prove to me that when you defeated my possessed form, it was not out of luck."

* * *

**(Morning)**

Lire opened her eyes and sat up. She gave a soft yawn as she stretched and took a look around. No one was awake yet, which was not really surprising since she wakes up earlier than most. She got out of her sleeping bag and rolled it.

She crawled to the tree where Ryan was leaning at and shook him gently. "Ryan wake up, we've got to move now." Ryan shifted a bit before stopping. She sighed and shook him again. "Ryan." Said druid opened one of his eyes and yawned.

"It's too early…" He grumbled.

"I know, but we agreed to move as soon as I woke up."

"I regret agreeing to that." He muttered as he stood up. He extended to her his hand, which she immediately accepted, and then he lifted her up.

"I'll wake up Elesis." She said. Ryan nodded and went to wake up Arme.

As she approached the self-proclaimed leader of the group, she noticed that Elesis had a very distressed look and kept mumbling incoherent words, though she caught some of the words like: 'sorry', 'bye', and someone named 'Elsword'. None of it made sense to her, but if she was to guess, then she would say that it had something to do with the personal mission that the redhead said she had.

Concerned and feeling sorry for the state Elesis was in, she nudged her.

Elesis opened her eyes, sat up, and looked wildly around her surroundings, as if she didn't know where she was. Her eyes landed on Lire.

Lire continued to stare at Elesis worriedly.

"What is it Lire?" Elesis asked groggily.

"We're moving."

"Oh." Elesis nodded sleepily and stood up to fix her sleeping bag.

"Care to explain who's Elsword?" Lire asked. At her question though, Elesis froze up.

"Where did you hear that name?" Elesis asked back in an eerie, cold voice that made her spine shiver uncontrollably.

"You talk in your sleep." Elesis shook her head and continued to put away her sleeping bag.

"It's none of your concern."

Lire opted to say more, but the sad face that Elesis held told her that her questions were already enough for the day. With a reluctant nod, Lire stepped away from Elesis.

* * *

It took them a good hour before they started to mobilize once more, and as they walked towards the end, they noticed that the trees were slowly disappearing, and the light was slowly coming back, meaning that they were about to enter another place. That also meant that there will probably be a huge monster that was going to ambush them.

Not soon after, they heard a loud roar and thundering footsteps.

Elesis sighed and materialized her sword and got into combat stance, the others followed suit as a huge troll appeared from the woods beside them.

Taking the cue, Lire summoned her bow and got in a hunter's stance.

Suddenly, the footsteps stopped.

Elesis' eyes widened. "JUMP!" She ordered.

Understanding crept into Lire's eyes as she jumped just in time when the troll appeared from the sky. When the troll's feet touched the floor, the whole ground trembled violently. It was amazing how much power those short legs could generate. It could've also been a byproduct of Kaze'aze's machinations.

The troll's eyes passed through each one of them, as if assessing the threat. An intelligent being. Great.

"Tch, why does it have brains!? It already has enough brawn!" Elesis complained.

"Why else? To make up for its repulsiveness." Ryan chimed in with a huge grin. Looks like he's back to his jovial mood.

"Not the right time for jokes tree-hugger!" Elesis snapped.

"Geez, looks like someone's on their period." Ryan mumbled.

"RYAN!/Shut up!" Lire and Elesis shouted respectively at the snickering Ryan.

"Guys, is now really the time?!" Arme asked as she was preparing an incantation.

"Shorty's right!" Ryan chirped, earning a withering glare from Arme. "Let's kick this guy's ass!" He materialized his crescent blade and got in a starting position.

"Ryan, you're not using _that_ already are you?" Lire asked warily. She immediately grimaced when she saw the feral grin that Ryan had.

Ryan kicked the ground for more momentum saying, "Yup!" As he was airborne, he put his blade in front of him and spun his whole body. His whole body was quickly enveloped with orange fire.

When Ryan was only a foot away, the troll blocked the part of its body that Ryan intended to hit using its club. As a result, the troll was only pushed away and toppled down.

"No way!" Lire exclaimed. She saw the power that Ryan's technique held from the night before, and it was more or less the best example for the word destructive. That troll not only blocked it, but somehow was only 'pushed back'

"Tch! Looks like those grotesque muscles it has isn't just for show." He mused.

"Grotesque? Tree-hugger knows big words!" Elesis mocked.

Ryan rolled his eyes in response and said, "Says the uncouth monkey princess."

Elesis became quiet for a while before saying in a creepy voice, "Ryan, once I'm done killing Ronan, prepare your asshole, 'cause I'm going to put my sword way up your ass."

Ryan visibly shivered at the mental image.

"Again, not the right time guys!" Arme said finishing her spell. "It's getting up!" She floated from the ground and the skies immediately darkened. She slowly raised her wand then brought it down immediately. Flashes of light appeared from the clouds and one straight bolt struck down at the recovering troll. The troll roared in pain.

"How strong is this thing? Arme's Electric Spark should've done the job!" Elesis growled.

"Can't you sense the strength of the dark energy surrounding this place? If I'm correct, then this monster has been here even before the dark energy filled this place. It had no choice but to absorb it." Lire explained sadly. She got into her hunter's stance and immediately shot two consecutive arrows. She shot two vital points that let the monster move its arms.

"It should be easier from here on. I already stopped it from being able to move its arms." Lire said.

Elesis started to put mana onto her sword, making it glow red. Ryan also started to put some mana on his crescent blade and crouched in a starting position.

Elesis started to run, dragging her blade across the ground. When she was a foot away from the troll, she jumped, slicing the blade against the troll's body and then she turned her back to the troll at the highest peak of her jump. She then brought down her sword on the troll as she was falling down.

Ryan kicked the ground to get more momentum, he then repeated his actions that he did earlier, but this time he punched a hole through the troll.

After letting out a pained roar, the memory-eating troll known as Elizabeth toppled down and started to fade away.

They all heaved a relieved breath. It only looked powerful, but in the end, it was just another monster.

Lire suddenly felt nauseated as a thought came into her mind. She looked at the ground where the troll disappeared. She could still remember a time where her family and her best friend's family visited this place when it was still beautiful. She also remembered a cute peculiar creature that she and her best friend played with… Tears fell from her eyes as she recalled the name of the creature. Elizabeth. She started to sob as she slowly fell down on the ground.

"H-hey Lire, what's the matter?!" Elesis rushed towards Lire with concern in her eyes, so did Arme. The only person who didn't move closer was Ryan. "Hey Ryan come over here!" Elesis ordered Ryan, but Ryan was also staring at the same spot that Lire was staring at. If one were to look at his eyes, he would say they were lifeless, that's because that's exactly what his current state was.

Lire widened her eyes when Ryan started to chant an old familiar lyric in the elven language. It was a lyric that promises reunion and it also could be understood as a lamentation. It was also the lyric that she and her best friend sang to Elizabeth whenever they left.

"Ryan…" She whispered. Ryan looked up. There was a tear falling down from one of his eyes.

Someday they will be able to reach Kaze'aze, and when they reach her, they will make her regret the day she struck tragedy upon the land. That was the oath that Lire made inside her mind.

* * *

**Hey… Yikes… I'm sorry…**

**I have no excuse for taking so long… I want to make an excuse, but I just can't bring myself to do it. Know that I'm always beating myself up mentally for not being too concentrated on what I do.**

**...**

**Constructive Criticisms = Accepted Happily**

**Flames = Belong in hell**

**Again, I'm so sorry!**


End file.
